Whenever you open your wallet to pay for a product, it is usually after you made sure that what you are buying is well worth the price. Why is the price low or high? Does it align with your ideas about the cost of resources that go into manufacturing the product? Is there any way to get the same quality cheaper?Read more

Solar energy has long graduated from the realm of possibilities to that of affordable energy options. The last few years have seen a significant decrease in the cost of solar panels and a consequent increase in commercial and residential installations. In the energy competition, solar power is becoming an actor in its own right.Read more

Two rival ballot measures over solar power are in an epic duel to collect enough signatures to be on the ballot during the 2016 election. Both ballot measures advocate for increased use of solar power by the Sunshine State, but the respective campaigns vehemently oppose one another.

Floridians for Solar Choice (FSC) wants an amendment to the state constitution that would make leasing rooftop solar panels and selling excess electricity to other people easier. The group is a coalition of environmentalists, conservative Christians, and solar energy companies. Tory Perfetti, director of FSC, claims the “ballot initiative will open up the energy market in Florida to freedom of choice and allow commerce to be conducted through the free market.”

Neo Solar Power announced that is has created a 21.1% efficient solar cell with passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) technology. The maximum efficiency was certified by the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

neosolarpowerThe p-type mono record was set by Trina Solar at 21.4% last November, so Neo Solar is close with its “Black 21” cell builds. Neo Solar also has cells named Black 19 and Black 20.

A passivation layer is added at the rear side of the cell in PERC technology to increase conversion efficiency. Energy conversion rates of about 20.5% are typical for PERC monocrystalline solar cells. The efficiencies have been good, but costs have also been higher. Some more intriguing applications for these cells are for solar cars and space.

ISLAMABAD: Energy sustainability through the solar resource seems to be the only option. The amount of energy the sun radiates in a day is more than the energy used by the world population in a year.

Every hour millions of kilowatts of solar energy hit the earth’s surface, which, if consumed, can altogether change the life of common man. Owing to this characteristic, solar energy is considered an infinite source of renewable energy.

Scientists believe the sun alone will be sufficient to meet energy needs of the world, if all non-renewable resources are exhausted.

Pakistan is deficient in energy, though it has enormous coal, wind, solar and water resources. Its overall power generation capacity stands at 23,538 megawatts with a shortfall of nearly 4,000 and 9,000 megawatts in winter and peak summer seasons, respectively.

Over the next few weeks, Congress will debate the critical investment tax credit, the only national solar policy in America. Without an extension of the tax credit, Bloomberg New Energy Finance warns that 100,000 solar workers will lose their jobs and 7,000 solar companies will disappear. Most of those job losses would be here in California — the state that created the modern solar industry.

Across California are schools, churches, farms, small businesses and 450,000 homes that benefit today from solar savings. Without the investment tax credit, many Californians will not be able to install solar power. In other states where solar is just getting off the ground, such as Nevada, Utah, South Carolina and New Hampshire, growth of the solar industry will stop. This matters to the residents of those states, but it should also matter to Californians, because climate change does not respect state lines. Emissions-free solar technologies effectively replace the energy produced by traditional, carbon-emitting electric generation.